Domain Names
There are two things every website must have:
- If you don’t have one already, you will need to register and rent a domain name, such as lab99.com or microsoft.com. (Sorry — both of these have already been taken!).
- You will also need to rent space for your website on a web server, a computer which anyone can access via the internet. See our Web Hosting page for details.
Domain Name Prices
Domain names are registered for a minimum of one year, You may register a name for several years at a time if you prefer. These are the current prices per year:
| Domain | Price per Year |
|---|---|
| .co.uk | £20 |
| .org.uk | £20 |
| .me.uk | £20 |
| .uk.com | £80 |
| .uk.net | £80 |
| .gb.com | £80 |
| .gb.net | £80 |
| Domain | Price per Year |
|---|---|
| .com | £30 |
| .org | £30 |
| .net | £30 |
| .info | £30 |
| .biz | £30 |
| .mobi | £40 |
| .co | £50 |
Other Domain Name Extensions
Many other, less common, domain name extensions are available. Please contact us if you have anything specific in mind. Certain extensions, such as .gov.uk and .ac.uk, are reserved for certain organisations, and are not available to the general public.
Domain Name Differences
The extensions listed above are administered by two central organisations:
- ICANN, based in the USA, administers the .com type of name.
- Nominet, based in the UK, administers the .co.uk type of name.
Choosing Domain Names
- Domain names are first come, first served.
- As well as checking the availability of, and supplying, domain names, we are happy to give free advice to help you choose the best domain name for your website.
Domain Name Privacy
When you register a domain name, certain personal or company details are put on an online register, which is available to the public. Nominet allows non–trading individuals to remove their details from the register, and may contact domain name holders by post with the appropriate information. ICANN, on the other hand, only offers exceptions on payment of a fee. We can arrange this; please contact us for details.
Cancelling Unwanted Domain Names
Both ICANN and Nominet will only allow domain name registrations to be cancelled in very exceptional circumstances. Typing errors and changing your mind do not count as exceptional circumstances. In such cases you will need to register a new domain name, at additional cost. Refunds are not given for domain names that are no longer required.
Domain Name Renewals
At the end of a domain name’s registration period, its current owner will be given the first option to renew the registration. If a name is not renewed, it will become available for others to register.
We will not allow your domain name to expire without giving you notice that its renewal is required.
Renewing .uk Names
- A domain name will remain functional for 30 days from the date of expiry, during which time the name’s current owner may renew the registration.
- After 30 days, the domain name’s functions will be suspended for 60 days: it will not be associated with a website, and any email addresses will not work. The current owner will still be able to renew the registration.
- At the end of the 60–day suspension period, the domain name’s registration will end, and the name will be available for anyone to register.
Renewing .com–style Names
The procedure is much the same for .com–style names, except that a fee will normally need to be paid if a name is renewed during the suspension period.
Scam Warning
A warning — if you register a .com, .org or .net domain name, you may be contacted by companies pretending to renew your domain name registration. This is a very common scam, and has been going on for years. See our Domain Name Scams page for details.
Lab 99 Web Design do not sub–contract the renewals of domain names registered through us. Do not pay money to some organisation you have never heard of, no matter how official they may appear to be!